IT appears to most of us here at the post office in York that the seniority system is open to abuse.

What would the public make of a system which rewards employees who have helped to turn the post office around and make millions of pounds by giving 'duties' (secure positions) to late-comers on part-time work, simply because they have done the same job for a year? Meanwhile, others working full-time, who have moved around and learned many aspects of the job, cannot put in for a well earned duty because they may have been in the present position for less than a year and that is even though they could have been at the post office for ten years or more?

It is most demoralising. A seniority-system should mean just that, or a merit-system should be introduced. Everyone I've talked to at the post office agrees. The present system is ludicrous. The laziest person on earth would gain a duty simply by staying put in part-time work.

Mark Beevers,

Scott Street, York.

Updated: 10:23 Thursday, May 12, 2005